Come Back to Me
by That Crazy Sonic Chick
Summary: It's been a year since Sonic's death, and his friends, to no surprise, are still grieving as they try to go on in life without him; But a new face appears. Who is he? Find out in this story filled with love and mystery. Sonamy, Knuxouge, Silvaze. Rated K for mature language and content. R&R.
1. The Incident

_**~ Act I ~**_

Sonic, 20

Tails, 15

Knuckles, 22

Amy, 18

Rouge, 21

Shadow, ?

Prologue

Chaos.

It was pure Chaos.

Everything was fine thirty minutes ago. His attack had come out of nowhere.

You saw your occasional badnik, only to be crushed by your everyday heroes. Threats being made in the air from Eggman, and snarky remarks coming down from Sonic. A few small explosions, here and there. That wasn't where everything had turned.

More robots came from everywhere, on the ground and in the air, surrounding them.

_Okay, Sonic, _think. _What's the safest move here?_ Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Knuckles and Amy battling. And not too far from them, Tails was by the Tornado, shooting lasers at the minions, defending the two while he shot close in their direction, too close for comfort.

"Tails!" Sonic called out. "Get her out of here!" Tails acknowledged the order and hovered towards Amy, dodging flying scraps of metal. Knuckles repelled a piece of robot away from Amy and Tails' way. Amy continued to fight, but was limited to her abilities.

"Get her somewhere safe," Knuckles said. "I'll cover you." And he did, as Tails led an exhausted Amy to the safety of the Tornado. He air lifted her into it, and started the plane, striking any enemies in their path.

"Go!" Sonic yelled, not looking back as the two slowly began to accelerate. "We'll meet up later."

"Sonic!" He looked over to Amy, with a look of exhaustion and fear.

"I'll be okay! I'll see you soon." He reassured, his voice strained.

"Be careful!" Amy called out, not feeling anything but worry for her hero. "I love you!"

"I love you too! Now get to safety!" And with that, they were off.

The two were in the air, flying away from the chaos below. Amy was panting. Tails looked over his shoulder, and saw her leaning forward in her seat.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Yeah, just tired. I usually don't get tired this quick in a battle." She said, leaning back.

"I mean, we can all understand why. Have you seen yourself?" The two looked down to her belly, bigger than usual, and round. "We should've gotten you out of there sooner. You know that's too risky."

"I just feel so useless. I'm ready for it to be here." Tails, chuckled, scanning the area with his eyes.

"Don't worry, Amy. Only three more months to go. And just one more week until we can stop referring to it as, well, _it_." Amy groaned, looking back at the battle. The two stayed silent, listening to the battle going on below.

"I'm worried, Tails."

"Don't be, Amy. They've got this. _We've _got this. So stay calm."

"Doesn't mean I can't be concerned for everyone's safety." Tails turned to give her a reassuring smile.

"That's not what I meant. All I'm saying is, has Sonic ever let you- AMY, GET DOWN!" Instinctively, Amy whipped her head around, but immediately felt Tails' hand on her shoulder and pulled her down as the plane was struck, and began to shake. She again pushed herself up straight only to be pushed back down by Tails, who then turned his attention to his plane. Amy choked on the smoke flying in the air.

"Tails!"

"Stay down!" He yelled, flipping switches and pushing buttons.

"What's happening!?"

"A missile hit the back right elevator! We can't fly without it!" Tails called back, struggling to keep the plane level as it descended at an uneven rate. "We're going down!"

"Be careful!" She said, leaning forward towards him.

"We'll be fine. Just stay covered." Tails ordered, looking down below.

"Sonic!" Knuckles called out. Sonic finished spin dashing a buzz bot and landed, looking over his shoulder to Knuckles. Nothing else needed to be said. Sonic saw the trail of smoke following the plane, as it was quickly declining towards the ground. It seemed Tails had it under control, but he wouldn't be able to focus until he knew Amy and Tails were safe and unharmed.

Sonic drop kicked an egg pawn out of his way and began to speed off towards where they were about to land. Something from behind tackled him to the ground. As he rolled to a stop, he saw none other than Metal Sonic, pushing himself off the ground.

"Agh, I don't have time for this!" Sonic said, wiping the dirt off his face. Before he could turn back towards the others, Metal swept his foot under Sonic's, bringing him back down to the ground. He felt his back quills crunch under his back, and screamed out in pain. His metal counterpart was already on top of him, quickly bringing his arms towards Sonic's throat. Sonic reacted quickly, locking his hands with the others, and pushed back with all of his might. Through clenched teeth, he spoke in a deep growl.

"You… are _not_ winning this. Not today, not tomorrow, not _ever_." He narrowed his eyes, swinging himself around, bringing him on top of his rival. He found an opening, ripped his left hand away, and forced it through his exterior. "You stay the hell away! From me, my friends, _my family_!" With a loud cry, he yanked his hand back, with a fist full of wires. Before he could do enough damage, something pulled at one of his fingers. He tried again, but it only got more stuck. Metal Sonic was still functioning, but remained still, his red eyes still glowing. Sonic looked closer to his hand, to see what was stuck. He saw a wire, that had somehow managed to wrap around the small gold band on his ring finger. His eyes got even more narrow as he grit his teeth, trying to break free, whether it was to rip out his wiring, or get his wedding band to slip free.

"**Commencing Self Destruct in: Sixty Seconds.**" Sonic's eyes grew wide, and began to panic, doing anything he could to free his hand and get away before he blew up... with Sonic on top of him. A loud crash sounded in the distance, and he jerked his head up to see the Tornado sliding to a stop. With one last attempt to free his hand, he knew what he had to do.

"Knuckles! Go!"

Knuckles wasn't far, and ran in his direction, stopping when he saw his hand inside of the robot beneath him.

"What are you doing?!" Knuckles yelled, throwing a hand in the plane's direction. "We gotta get them out of here!"

"I know! My hand's stuck. Go help them!" Knuckles didn't understand what was happening. He drew a fist back, ready to break Sonic's hand free. Sonic waved his free hand to stop him. "No! He's about to self destruct! Get away and _go help them_!" Knuckles looked from Sonic, to his hand lodged in the metal, to Sonic again, to the plane, and back at the struggling Sonic.

"But Sonic, you-"

"**Self Destruct in: Thirty Seconds.**"

"There's no time to think!" Sonic said, a pained expression in his eyes.

"Sonic…"

"Knuckles, _please…_" the blue hero begged, his voice heavy with agony. "_Go. Protect my family._" With one last look at his friend, the red echidna blinked back tears, and ran towards the crash site, calling for Rouge and Shadow over his ear piece. Sonic looked on as he saw Rouge and Shadow appear in a flash, hopping onto the plane, reaching for Tails and Amy. As Shadow raised his emerald, his eyes met with Sonic's. There was no time to dwell on it, but in that moment, Shadow revealed an expression of sorrow. He gave one subtle nod, and in a flash, all but Knuckles were Chaos Controlled out of sight.

"**Self Destruct in: 10… 9… 8… 7…**"

"SONIC!" Knuckles screamed out, running as fast as he could to his rescue.

"**3… 2…**" Sonic squeezed his eyes shut, tears streaming down his face. His final moment, his final breath, his final words…

"I'm sorry… _I love you all."_

"**1…**"

"NO! _SONIIIIIIC!_


	2. One Year Later

Amy, 19

Knuckles, 23

Rouge, 22

Tails, 16

One Year Later…

Amy pulled the pillow off of her head. She stretched, letting a squeak escape her lips. Looking out the window across the room, she sat up in her bed, rubbing her tired eyes. The pink hedgehog dropped her fist on the alarm sitting on her nightstand, silencing it. She flopped back down in bed, throwing her arm over her eyes.

"Ugh, why am I so tired?" She thought aloud. "I got a full night of sleep, and so did…" her eyes widened, and snapping up and out of bed, she threw her door open, throwing her head in the doorway of the nursery across the hall from her own room. "The baby!"

She scrambled down the stairs, nearly tripping over her own feet. She looked around frantically in each room, searching and listening for any sign of…

"C'mon, sweetie, open up. Your mother _loves_ strawberries, I'm sure you would too." Amy whipped her head towards the voice coming from the kitchen.

"If she's anything like her father, she's gonna be difficult and make it a game." She peeked around the corner with a relieved sigh, and saw a nicely dressed Rouge holding a spoon full of red goop in a spoon in front of the fussy hoglet, turning her head away from the food. Behind her stood Knuckles, leaning against the fridge with his arms crossed.

"Yes, well, she certainly is stubborn." Amy spoke, revealing herself at the door. Both turned their heads to see an exhausted mother, with bags under her eyes and one heck of a bed head. Knuckles snorted as Rouge stood straight, walking up to her and presenting the jar of baby food and spoon.

"Amy, dear… Your baby is not being very cooperative with her Auntie Rouge this morning… and Chaos, you're looking rough." Amy rolled her eyes and gave a small smile.

"Thanks, Rouge. You always know what to say." She took the baby food and presented it to her daughter. She swatted her hand at the spoon, sending it flying to the floor and threw her head back, with a tiny scream in protest. Amy let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, Nikki…"

"This is why I stick to wardrobe duty." The bat sat, placing all her weight on one leg, resting a hand on her hip.

"And even _that's_ questionable sometimes." Knuckles muttered, reminding others of his presence.

"Morning, Amy." Rouge scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh _please_, you put _your_ socks on her on Tuesday."

"Her feet were cold, and I couldn't get her tiny socks on those tiny feet! It was like playing with Cream's dolls back when she was six!"

"Her birthday is coming up, y'know." Amy said, rinsing off the dirty spoon she'd picked up off the floor.

"I know. I can't believe it. Almost ten years old."

"She's turning fourteen, Knuckles." Rouge corrected dryly.

"What?! Fourteen?!" Amy, leaning over the high chair's surface in front of her, looked back at him over her shoulder, nodding, with a look that said "I know, I can't believe it either."

"At least she's out of her pretend-tea-party phase. Those got pretty awkward." Knuckles chuckled.

"You're not finished yet. Cream already promised me she'd take 'Tea Party Duty' with the little lady." Amy said, booping her little one on the nose with the now clean spoon. "Alright, take two."

"More like take seven." Rouge said.

"Take cover, everyone." Knuckles warned, hiding behind Rouge. He laughed at the dirty look he got from her as Nikki fought once more. Amy pulled the spoon back before it made another trip to the ground.

"I don't understand why she's being cranky. She slept all night, no problem. She's gotta be hungry." She lifted the container to her eye level, reading the label. She giggled, tossing it in the trash and reached in the pantry, pulling out a jar of strawberry baby food. She twisted the lid off, and scooped a small amount out, and with one "Here comes the airplane" later, no fuss, no muss. Nikki happily ate her breakfast.

"What the…?" Knuckles began.

"Airplane?" She's been spending some time with Tails the baby whisperer, huh?" Rouge joked. "That's all it took?" Amy wiped the remaining food off of the child's face and lifted her out of the high chair.

"Who grabbed the jar?" Amy asked, holding messy hedgehog on her hip. Rouge pointed to Knuckles, who had his hand raised. Amy laughed. "Those weren't strawberries. They were beets." Rouge slapped Knuckles up the back of his head. Amy smiled, shaking her head and bringing her to the changing table.

"Hey!" He said, rubbing the back of his head.

"It was in the back of the shelf for a reason!"

"Well how was I supposed to know?"

"She's going to hate me now, thinking that _I_ tried to feed her _beets_." She pouted, crossing her arms. Amy came back, throwing a dirty diaper in the trash, landing next to the beets.

"You jumped at the opportunity to feed her, but didn't mind leaving diaper duty to me?"

"Sorry, hun. But I've got to draw the line somewhere, and that line is at getting poop stuck under my nails. And I just got a fresh manicure." She said, showing her rhinestone nails off for her to see. Nikki reached out to inspect them. Amy looked over to Knuckles.

"Nope. Not even sorry." He said with a smirk.

"It's probably for the best. She'd either lose her diaper in two minutes or lose circulation in her legs." The man growled as Rouge smirked, kissing him on the cheek.

"Don't worry, Knuckie. You'll get your turn with _our_ children."

"Don't hold your breath." Knuckles said, failing at hiding the heat coming to his face.

"He's right, Rouge." Amy said, handing the baby to her. "I mean, he only proposed after _three years_ of you two dating."

"Chaos knows how long until he actually starts helping me plan the wedding." The woman muttered. "But that's okay. Because the longer Uncle Knuckles waits, the more expensive our wedding is going to be. Isn't that right, my pink little topaz?" She said to Nikki. She only responded with a drip of drool. Amy quickly wiped it away before heading upstairs.

"I'm gonna go clean myself up real quick. Knuckles, what time are we supposed to be at Tails' shop?"

"Uhh…" Knuckles checked his phone. "Thirty two minutes ago."

"Crap." Amy replied in a mutter as she ran up the stairs, before a loud thump echoed down the stairway. "Damn it!" And the door to the bathroom closed.

The couple sat on the living room floor, playing with their God-Daughter. Knuckles let a low laugh escape his lips. Rouge turned her head to him, raising an eyebrow.

"What's so funny?"

"I was thinking maybe you could bedazzle a helmet for this one." He said, tickling the hoglet's feet.

"What?" She was completely lost.

"I'm just saying, if this kid's gonna have her mom's footing and her dad's speed…" Realization hit her in the face.

"...Maybe some matching knee and elbow pads. Just in case."

"Tails?" Amy called, peeking her head under the garage door. Knuckles grabbed the bottom of it

and pulled it up enough for them to walk through.

"We're here, man. Where you at?"

"I'm over here!" His voice traveled through the shop, no telling where "over here" was. The two looked around, stepping over wires and around machines.

"Down here!"

"Where's 'here'?" Amy asked. A head popped out from under the Tornado. The fox removed his goggles and looked up at his friends.

"Hey, guys!" He pushed himself out and off of his swivel board, wiping his hands off on a rag, and dusting himself off.

"Why were you under the Tornado?" Knuckles asked.

"Where else would I be?" Tails laughed, patting the side of his plane. "You know she's my pride and joy."

"It's creepy that you refer to it as 'she'." Knuckles said, giving him a weirded out look.

"And it's weird that you refer to the Master Emerald as your friend. Moving on." He retorted, setting his goggles in bis tool box. He hopped up and sat on the edge of his work table. "So, how's Little Miss Nikki?"

"Oh, she's good. I'm finally getting full nights of sleep again."

"That's good to hear. Congratulations." He laughed, leaning back. "The reason I'm asking is because…" He reached back and pulled a nicely wrapped box out from behind him.

"You finally finished it, huh?" Knuckles teased.

"It only took me a couple of months." Tails said, rolling his eyes. "You have no room to talk, Mr. Takes-Too-Long-To-Pull-A-Ring-Out-Of-A-Box." Amy snorted, spitting her tea out and Knuckles balling up his fists.

"That is all I have heard about for the last six months! I did it, that's all that matters. Just drop it already!" Amy and Tails ceased their laughter and shifted their eyes back to the gift in Amy's lap.

"So… what is it?" Amy asked, inspecting the box, weighing it.

"You're gonna have to open it up and find out!" Tails said. "C'mon, hurry up!"

"Tear it up, Amy!" Knuckles encouraged. "Like Nikki and her strawberries." Amy laughed as she peeled the rest of the paper off, and lifted the lid off. She pulled the tissue paper off the top and found a blue surface, in the middle a string with a hook at the end. Lifting it by the hook, she removed the whole thing from the box, setting it on the floor as she inspected her surprise.

"Oh, Tails, it's beautiful!" She said. It was a mobile. A royal blue surface with a circle of gold rings hung from it, and in the center, an accurate sized model of a green chaos emerald. "I love it!"

"We're gonna need to tell Rouge that's a fake." Knuckles laughed.

"She actually saw it while we were working on it." Tails said, admiring his work. "She knows it's a fake."

"She's got an eye for anything sparkly. Probably won't stop her." Amy teased. Tails laughed.

"Yeah, that's what Sonic said." He slowed his laughing down, and all fell silent. Amy's smile had faded away, and Knuckles set a hand on her shoulder. "...Amy, Sonic helped with this. He actually helped design it." Tails' eyes met with Amy's wet, sparkling eyes. "He never got to see the finished project, but…" he took a deep breath, his own being a little shaky. "He'd be proud of the outcome. And you." Amy blinked out a single tear, and nodded her head, forcing a smile.

"He'd be proud of all of us. I know it."

"I can't believe it's about to be a year," Knuckles spoke up. "It doesn't feel like that long ago."

"It really doesn't." Tails replied, before the room fell silent. The air felt heavy, and as much as they all didn't like it, it was hard to not think about him throughout the day. For all of them, he was the first thing they thought about in the morning, and the last thing before they fell asleep.

"I miss him." Amy said, fighting her emotions. Tails hopped down and kneeled at her side, and the two boys hugged her from both sides. Leaning her head on Knuckles and resting her hand on Tails' hand, they all stayed silent, mourning their friend, their brother, their husband. Tails took a deep breath and stepped away, coming back zipping up his coat.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked, wiping a tear away, watching the kitsune prepare to face the cold winter outside.

"I think it's time we pay Sonic another visit. It's been a while." Tails said, placing his earmuffs on.

"Let's go get some lunch."

Amy looked over at Knuckles. "I actually do need to go get Cream a birthday gift," Amy said, setting the mobile back in the box, sliding it securely under his workspace. Knuckles nodded his head, with a smile.

"I don't think Rouge would mind some extra time with Nikki." Knuckles said. "Probably use the advantage to make up for feeding her beets." Amy giggled.

"Rouge got Nikki to eat beets?" Tails said surprised, opening the door and letting the others out first. Both shook their head, laughing.

"I'll explain on the way." Amy said, as she tossed her scarf around her neck. Tails looked over his shop, and closed the door behind him.


	3. Long Time, No See

**_I am so sorry about the hiatus..._**

_As I'm certain I can speak for others, things have been chaotic. Trying to hold a relationship, a work life, a social life, and looking for a place to live on top of that, I can't do everything at once. But if you're reading this shortly after I've uploaded Act III, the next one is already uploaded! So please enjoy, review (they push me to be more consistent) and thank you so so so much for your patience and support!  
_

Amy, 19

Tails, 16

Knuckles, 23

"Three chili dogs, please." Tails said, sliding the cashier a ten dollar bill. The cat behind the counter handed him his receipt and they made their way to a booth nearby to wait.

"How do you think it looks right now?" Knuckles asked, sliding in, making room for Amy.

"It looks good," Tails said, taking a seat across from Amy. "You can tell people keep up with it."

"For now. Just wait. A few years down the road, it'll be ready to come down." Knuckles said, with a hint of annoyance. Amy set her purse in front of her, propping her elbows on the table.

"That's not gonna happen. If people aren't going to do their job as land keepers, we'll do it ourselves."

"There's nothing to worry about." Tails said. "That'll never happen. It's _Sonic's memorial_ we're talking about here."

"So, what's going on for Cream's birthday?" Knuckles asked, changing the subject.

"Vanilla's throwing her a surprise party." Amy answered, digging her phone out of her purse.

"Keyword, _surprise_, Knuckles." Tails said, giving him a warning look. "So don't blow it. Or else we're not even going to tell you about the next surprise party we plan." Amy laughed.

"I have no idea what to get her, though." Amy said, checking her phone for any updates from Rouge, to check in with her and Nikki. "She's usually pretty easy to shop for, but I want to get her something special this year."

"It's not easy shopping for someone who's birthday is so close to Christmas." Tails said, looking over at the counter. "What did you get her last year?"

"Sonic and I got her some shoes that Vanilla had trouble finding. I asked Vanilla for suggestions, but Cream doesn't even know what she wants for Christmas, let alone her birthday."

"She's changed a lot in the last few years. You'd think she'd be ecstatic over a tea set or flower pot." Knuckles said.

"Vanilla said she hasn't been the same since… well, last year. She's still cheery and sweet, but it isn't as, well-"

"Often?" Amy finished. Tails nodded. "Cream gets emotional once in a while. She only lets herself show it after she's not around us."

"Well," Knuckles said, leaning back in his seat. "It's nowhere near the same with Sonic not here anymore."

"I know how she feels." Amy said. " We all do. That's why we need to be there for her, and show her we're all here for her, and each other. That's why Vanilla thinks throwing a surprise party will lighten her mood up."

"_Order number 21!_" Tails looked up at the counter.

"That's us." Tails said, sliding out of the bench. The three got up to claim their lunch.

"Here you go, Tails, Knuckles, Amy." The three looked at the owl handing them their food. She didn't look familiar and they were in the area all the time. The heroes were surprised to be acknowledged by a stranger. The woman noticed, and immediately apologized. "Oh, Heavens, I'm sorry. I just recognized you three. Sorry if I seemed disrespec-"

"No, no, it's okay," Tails reassured. "We were just caught off guard. Have a good day!" He said with a smile, and the friends began to walk towards the exit.

"Did she look familiar?" Amy asked. Tails shook his head, and Knuckles shrugged.

"Maybe she just has one of those faces." Knuckles said, reaching for the door. Amy looked once more over her shoulder, but then shrugged it off and began to walk to the park.

The sound of snow crunching under their feet filled the silence as a bench came into view. The three approached the bronze statue, faced the front, and took a seat.

"There he is." Tails announced, reaching in the bag and distributing the chili dogs. Each took one in their hands and began to unwrap. They sat there, enjoying their lunch, and the sight of Sonic smiling, giving his trademark thumbs up. Seeing his constructed figure, it wasn't the same as seeing Sonic himself, but it did bring a hint of joy and comfort to anyone who saw it. Amy sighed, and Knuckles leaned back against the bench, resting his arm over the back, behind Amy.

"Looks pretty good to me," Tails said. "Glad to see people are staying on top of maintenance."

"He still looks handsome…" Amy thought out loud. The two boys outside of her chuckled and her free hand flew up to her mouth. "Oh, jeez. Did I say that out loud?" The two laughed some more, and she blushed, but didn't hide it as she giggled with them.

"It's okay, Amy." Knuckles said. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind hearing it a few more times."

"More like a couple hundred-thousand." Tails added. "Chaos knows his ego had no limit." The three laughed at the honest fact. Silence fell again. Then Amy spoke up.

"What would you say to him?" The two turned their heads towards her, questioning her statement.

"Huh?" Knuckles asked, a mouthful of chili and cheese in his mouth.

"If he could hear you, right now. What would you say?" The two thought about it.

"I'd tell him we miss him. A lot." Tails said. "And that we think about him everyday."

"And that the chili dogs aren't the same anymore," Knuckles joked, raising his half eaten chili dog. "Y'know, to make him feel better." He looked at his food, then back at the memorial. "Unless he's up there, eating one as we speak."

"How about you?" Tails asked, resting his elbows on his legs, leaning forward with his wrists crossed. Amy thought about this, then looked up at her late husband's statue figure.

"I'd tell him I love and miss him, of course." She answered, then paused. "And I'd tell him about his daughter. How she has his eyes, and his personality. She has his stubborn, sassy attitude. But she also has his courage and confidence. She's already starting to stand up on her own. Won't be long before she's walking.." Tails' eyes went wide. He swallowed the last bite, and spoke, spitting a drop of chili out.

"For real? She's only what, six months old?"

"Eight." She corrected. "She'll be nine months on Saturday." Tails shook his head in disbelief.

"That's Sonic's kid. Gotta grow fast." The three laughed. Knuckles commented. "...Do you think she'll have his speed?"

"Part of me really wants her to, but another part of me is hoping she won't be doing anything too dangerous." Amy said, a serious look on her face. "I don't want her getting hurt."

"Well, she's got a fifty percent chance of inheriting Sonic's speed." Tails informed. "And don't worry, Amy. This is _Sonic's_ child. She's gonna be reckless, but she's also going to be brave, and capable of taking care of herself."

"Yeah. And for the record," Knuckles said, wrapping Amy in a one armed hug. "She didn't get her confidence from _just_ Sonic." He pointed to her heart. "There's half of _you_ in there too."

"I know, but… _ugh_, she's just so much like him! Everytime I look at her, I see him. I just wish he knew what she was like, what _we're_ like. I just wish I could tell him!" She ranted. Silence struck once more. All three looked at the ground, their minds flooding with thoughts. Knuckles looked up, then at Amy.

"So tell him." Amy looked at the red echidna with wet eyes.

"What?"

"Talk to Sonic. Tell him about his daughter, about you. Everything you want him to know."

"Why? He can't even hear us." Amy pouted. "It's a statue."

"You never know, Amy." Tails chimed in. "Ask yourself this… What would Sonic want you to do?" This hit home for Amy. She thought about it, and with hesitance, she made her decision.

"Okay… uh… Hi, Sonic. I miss you. We all do… and… uh…" She thought some more. "Nikki is, uh…" she groaned and threw her hands in front of her. "I'm _literally_ talking to a statue." Knuckles slapped his hand on his knee taking a deep breath, leaning forward and squeezing Amy in another one armed hug.

"What your wife is trying to say, Sonic, is that we're all good down here. Yeah, things are tough, but so is your family. Your daughter is beautiful, and you would be so damn proud of your girls. Because me, Tails, and the rest of us sure as hell are. We miss you man, things aren't the same here without you, but we're taking care of each other, like one big family. I'd assume you'd be proud of us, Sonic. And we're proud of you. You died being a hero, and I like to think we're carrying your name with us." Knuckles paused, seeming caught up in the moment. He looked over as Tails cleared his throat, before adding on,

"... Sonic… you're my best friend. You always were, and you always will be. I… I miss you, and… none of this feels real. This wasn't supposed to happen! You-" He cut himself off, trying to hold back tears. "I… I…"

"Tails…?" Amy asked softly, placing a gentle hand on his arm. The teenage fox balled his fist and lowered his head, clenching his jaw. He let a low rumble come out of his throat, and gave up on keeping it all in.

"I can't do this!" He cried. He hunched over, holding the back of his head with his hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Instinctively, Amy wrapped her arms around him, letting her own tears run.

Knuckles looked over to his mourning friends, his own heart heavy with sorrow. He stood up, brought himself in front of the bench, and knelt down before his friends with open arms. The three came together, holding each other, crying over their lost friend. They stayed that way for a while until Knuckles pulled away, with red, wet eyes and grim expression. Amy slightly sat up, dabbing her eyes with her sleeve as Tails leaned on her shoulder, half asleep. She held out the keys to her car for Knuckles who simply nodded, taking them and going to retrieve their transportation. The two sat there, holding each other. Tails sniffed softly, looking up at her with heavy eyes.

"Thanks, Amy," he spoke softly. "I really needed that." She looked down at her little brother-in-law with a warm and sweet smile.

"I think we all did. Even Knuckles. And I think we both can agree he needed it more than he'll admit." Tails chuckled, and sunk into her arms even more, Amy resting her head on his, rubbing her thumb over his shoulder. She gave him one last firm but comforting hug before they rose up from their seat and walked to the car, looking back at the memorial behind them, and drove off.

As soon as the car was out of sight, a not-so-familiar face appeared from behind a nearby tree. She held a hand to her pendant, looking off into where the car was last seen. She approached the statue and looked down at the plaque mounted onto the base. It read:

_Sonic the Hedgehog_

_June 21, 1991 - December 12th, 2011_

"_Fastest Thing Alive"_

_Beloved Friend, Brother, Son, Husband, Father, and Hero of Mobius_

_May his legacy be carried on, and may he Rest in Peace._

_The world forever be in his debt._

She smiled, looking up at the lost hero's face.

"It's time." Her amulet glowed, it's aura shining brighter than the freshly fallen snow. And in an instant, she was engulfed by the light and vanished, leaving not a single disturbed snowflake.


	4. Who Says You Can't Go Home?

"_Who says you can't go home?_

_There's only one place they call me one of their own_

_Just a hometown boy born a rolling stone_

_Who says you can't go home?_

_Who says you can't go back?_

_I been all around the world and as a matter of fact_

_There's only one place left I wanna go_

_Who says you can't go home?"_

_~ Who Says You Can't Go Home, Bon Jovi_

Sonic, 21

Anastasia, ?

Augustus, ?

Only a few moments later, in another world…

"Augustus," The woman called, entering a large corridor. The owl's feathers as white as snow, her blue eyes almost piercing. She was wearing an elegant, yet simple, light blue gown, which flowed behind her as she approached the leopard, who sat in his throne, greeting her with a smile.

"Ahh, Anastasia, you've returned." He welcomed with a smile. "Are you ready?" She gave a nod.

"Yes, Your Grace." He gave a silent nod in return.

"Is _he_ ready?" He prompted, with a serious look in his eyes.

"He is, Your Grace."

"Bring him to me." He ordered kindly. She gave a quick nod, and placed her hand on her amulet, closing her eyes. The second she opened her eyes, a portal opened, allowing a gust of wind to pass through. A blue figure flew out from the other side, and sped straight into a nearby pillar, tumbling down with a loud crash to the ground.

"OW!" He yelled, sitting up and holding a hand against his nose, eyes squeezed shut. "Hey, what gives?!"

"Hello, again, Sonic." Augustus spoke, his expression unreadable. Sonic ceased his groaning and whipped his head around, and realized where he was. He scrambled up to his feet, dusting himself off and giving his nose one more rub before approaching the man. He stood before him, hands on his hips, tapping his foot.

"Hey there, Gus. Long time no see!" Sonic said, giving his good old, lopsided grin. He saw Anastasia shoot him a sharp look from the corner of his eye, and cleared his throat. "_Ahem!_ Uh, sorry, I mean…" he shot the wise owl a look for help, but her eyes were focused on Augustus. "... You called?" He heard the lady behind him groan under her breath and gulped. Augustus hesitated, and looked at the woman questioningly.

"Umm, Sonic, we've _summoned_ you here because we have matters to discuss." She spoke slowly, not wanting to give him any chance to make things more complicated.

"Uh oh, what did I do?" Sonic said, his eyes widened, ears laying back. "Did I tear up the grass again? I tore the grass up again, didn't I?" Anastasia let out a heavy sigh and covered her eyes with her wing. Sonic pressed his lips together in a tight line, hands folded behind his back and bouncing lightly on his feet, eyes angled with worry.

"It has… come to our attention that you are needed elsewhere." Augustus spoke heavily, hinting a bit of dread in his voice. Sonic crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently.

"And where would that be?"

"Anastasia?" Augustus motioned her way, and she stepped up, standing where Sonic faced her.

"Sonic, did you ever wonder why you were sent here, and not Heaven?" Sonic shook his head, shrugging his arms.

"I figured I've just been in a coma, and this is some crazy dream." Sonic said, before his eyes lit up. "Am I about to wake up?!" She shook her head.

"No, Sonic. You really did die, and this is not a dream." She spoke, somewhat sympathetically.

The blue blur's ears drooped back down, his mood suddenly changing.

"Then why do I remember everything? My home, my friends, my family?"

"Because we knew it wasn't your time yet." Augustus answered, showing the same sympathy as his lady in waiting. "And now the time has come for you to-" the speedster gasped, throwing his hands over his ears.

"I'm gonna die?!" I'm going to the afterlife?!" Sonic panicked, his whole body fidgeting. He paced back and forth. "I'm gonna forget everything! I'm not gonna remember anyone! Amy, Tails, Knuckles, everyone is gonna be wiped from my memor-" Sonic finished in a muffled voice. He stopped in his tracks and looked down towards his mouth, but saw nothing. Anastasia lowered her hand, and Sonic's lips were free.

"Sonic, please, stop making this difficult. Just listen for a moment." Anastasia ordered. Sonic took a deep breath and untensed his body, looking at the lepard, who was waiting for his attention. Once he knew he had it, he pushed himself out of his seat, and walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and looked down to him.

"Sonic," Augustus acknowledged, a small smile curved his lips. With a short squeeze to his shoulders, he said, "You're going _home_."

"_Home_?" Sonic said, his voice and eyes filled with unbelief. "_Home_, where I was before here? Back on Mobius with my friends and family? _Home_, home?" The two nodded, smiling. Sonic couldn't stand still. He drew in a deep breath and opened his mouth and began to cheer.

"Whoo-HOOOOO! Aw man, this can't be happening! Is _this_ a dream? _Please _tell me this isn't a dream!" He stopped in his tracks and brought his hands back in, and simply flicked his nose, still sore from his recent collision a moment ago. He yelped in pain, but a bright smile continued to shine on his face. "Oh, thank Chaos!" He said, finally calming down. He looked to Augustus expectantly, then Anastasia.

"Well? What're we waitin' for? Let's go! Hocus pocus!" He said. The two looked at him confused.

"Abracadabra!" Nothing. "Bippidi Boppity Boo?" What the heck was taking so long? Where was the faith, trust, and pixie dust? "Uhh… Am I missing something here?" Sonic said, looking around for answers. Augustus motioned for the wise owl to explain to him the conditions and consequences for the series of events to take place.

"Sonic," Anastasia spoke, stepping up to his side, hooking her arm in his. "Let's take a walk, shall we?" Sonic threw his head back, groaning.

"There's no time to walk, Ana, I gotta get moving!" He said, revving his feet, readying to dash off. Suddenly his feet froze, sticking to the floor, throwing him off balance and tipping over, landing forward with a thud as the rock material dissolved from around his feet. He pushed himself up off the ground, brushing himself off. "You know I hate it when you do that." He muttered.

"And you know not to call me anything but Anastasia." She said, standing with poise before him.

"Now, where were we?" She asked, tilting her head with a raised eyebrow. Sonic let out a sigh, holding his elbow out. And in a dry tone, he answered,

"Let's go for a walk."

The two walked through a garden out in the courtyard. It was a beautiful day out, but so was every other day there. Sonic didn't bother hiding the fact that he couldn't care less about the rules of going back home. He just wanted to be back with his friends and family. He pictured everyone in his mind; Tails, Knuckles, Amy… He smiled at the thought of seeing them again. To hear their voices, to hug them, hold them, and just being back with them. Sonic wanted nothing more than to get out of this place and return home, where he belonged. Anastasia looked over to him, noticing his smile, the hint of excitement and anxiousness in his eyes. She cleared her throat, calling Sonic's attention to her.

"Sonic, there's more to it."

"What? To going home?" Sonic said, the owl nodding her head. "What's the catch?" Anastasia's eyes grew serious, and just told him straight forward,

"You can't tell them who you are." Sonic laughed, kicking a pebble into the nearby pond, folding his hands behind his head.

"I don't have to." He said, chuckling. "They'll recognize me the second I get to them." He scratched his ear, eyes looking up in thought. "So… How am I going to explain where I've been for the past…" he trailed off, not realizing how long he'd been there.

"Year." The woman finished, lifting the skirt of her dress up above her ankles to step on the stoned path.

"Whoa, really?" Sonic said, skipping rocks across the pond, looking at himself in the rippled reflection. "I've got a lot to catch up on."

"...Sonic, this isn't easy to tell you, but there's no other way to say it. They aren't going to know who you are." Sonic stopped in his tracks, getting annoyed and impatient.

"Of course they are. They're my friends! Tails is like my brother, Knuckles, my best friend. And Amy…" He paused, spotting a rose bush a few feet ahead of him. "Amy's my wife. They couldn't have forgotten about me. That's impossible."

"Of course it is, Sonic. Of course they'll remember you. No one has forgotten about Sonic."

"Then what are you trying to say?" Sonic demanded. He stopped himself from telling her to just spit it out. He was not about to get on the bad side of the holder of his ticket back home.

"You're not going to be you, Sonic. Yes, your heart will be the same, and your spirit." She waved her hand in a spiral motion, a thick sparkling mist appearing around him. Before he could ask what was happening, his view was cleared, looking at Anastasia. "But your appearance, will not."

"Wha-" Sonic spoke, throwing his hand to his mouth. Why did he sound like that? He took his hand away, looking down at himself. _Whoa._ He was no longer in his royal blue body. His fur was now the shade of the summer grass around him. He felt taller, seeing the ground further than it was before. He turned back to the pond, its surface now calm and still. His eyes, staring back up at him from the reflection were now an ocean blue, his nose smaller. He raised his hands to the back of his head, feeling the new quills. They were shorter, and pointed upward. He looked back up at the lady who was observing his transformation.

"What is this?!" He cried out, not liking it one bit. "Change me back!"

"I'm sorry, Sonic, but I can't." She answered. "This is the only way you can return home."

"But how are they gonna know it's me?" He asked, gesturing to his figure.

"They can't." She said. Sonic froze in place, his eyes still.

"What?"

"They can't know who you are, Sonic." She said. "There are consequences if you reveal yourself."

"And what would that be?" He asked, too many emotions going through his mind to pick just one.

"If anyone finds out you are you, it will change the whole timeline going back from the day you were born." She explained.

"But… why?" He asked. This wasn't making any sense. "What will happen?"

"Your existence will be erased from all time, meaning everything and everyone will be different, and the world will be doomed."

"How?" Sonic asked, eyes growing wide.

"If you don't exist in the reformed timeline, evil will conquer not just the world, but the universe. The world and the life on it will simply cease to exist with time... destroying existence of _everyone _and _everything_."

Sonic thought this over, taking it all in. His eyebrows connecting, looking down at his reflection. He didn't even recognize himself.

"So… let me get this straight," The now green hedgehog started, checking his tone before continuing. "I get to go back home, be back with my friends, my family, my _wife_ and…" Sonic's eyes grew wide. "Amy! The baby! Oh my God, my kid! Is it a boy or girl? What's their name? How old is he- she- whatever!" Sonic could feel his breathing increase. He went back to pacing, freaking out, and rightfully so. A sound of a portal materializing turned Sonic's head, showing him the real world. Sonic's breath got caught in his chest. It was only a few steps away, he could feel the cold winter air blowing in the wind nipping at his skin. He stood there and took it all in.

_Is this really happening? _Sonic thought. He reached to pinch himself, but quickly pulled his hand back to his side. _Who cares if it's real? I have to see them._ He straightened himself, getting ready to go.

"Are you ready, Sonic?" He jumped at Anastasia's voice, forgetting he wasn't alone.

"Y-Yeah." Sonic said, mentally encouraging himself to enter the cold world in front of him. "But, uhh… Where is this taking me?" All he could see was snow. She leaned forward from Sonic's left, tilting her head up to him.

"Only one way to find out." She said, reassuring him with a smile. "Let your journey begin" He looked forward, through the portal awaiting his entry. He shook his body, preparing himself for whatever came next.

_Alright, Sonic. _He thought. "Time to go _home._"


	5. Begin Again

Sonic, 21

Anastasia, ?

He took a step forward, and another. And as his foot sunk in the freshly fallen snow, he was hit with a wave of several emotions. He took in his surroundings, observing the area, and stopped when he laid his eyes on a tall structure. He walked around, approaching the front. He craned his neck, scaling the statue of himself.

"That's me?" Sonic asked, pointing to the monument, then to himself without his eyes leaving the bronze figure's.

"Just goes to show that it isn't easy to forget Sonic the Hedgehog." She replied, her side meeting his, as she also gazed up. Sonic scanned the whole thing, stopping at the plaque mounted on the base.

"Heh." The hedgehog chuckled. "That's kinda cool." He turned his head. "So, why here?" Anastasia looked to him, slightly surprised.

"Look around." He searched for something familiar to tell him where he was, but saw nothing in particular. He returned his eyes, giving her a clueless look. "This, Sonic…" she said, waving over to what seemed like an ordinary park. "Is where your last moments were before you left this world."

The hedgehog's expression became unreadable. He looked from spot to spot, imagining where everything was. His heart began to race, the sound of memories echoing in his mind. His eyes filled with pain, remembering his final words, and the scream for Sonic's name. That was the last thing he remembered. Holding his ears, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the memory.

A gentle hand on his arm snapped him out of his flashback, his eyes shot open with a loud gasp.

"Listen. It's okay. It's all in the past now. And so is Sonic." Sonic's eyes shifted to hers, not sure if he understood what she just said.

"What do you mean?" He asked, standing up straight. She looked from him, to the name engraved on the base, and back to him. He knew what was coming; He just wasn't ready to accept it.

"Oh, great." He muttered, putting his palm to his forehead, looking up at the sky. "What are my options?"

"I suggest the name, 'Chava'." Sonic choked before he could blurt out his response, swallowing his first choice of words.

"_'Chava'?" _Sonic retorted.

"It's another word for 'life'." She defended.

"It _sounds like_ another word for soup." He scoffed, crossing his arms. "Next?" The snow white owl shrugged her shoulders.

"Augustus mentioned the name Huebert. It means bright heart, mind, an-"

"_NEXT!_" Sonic rejected. Anastasia pinched the bridge of her beak, ready to be done with the discussion.

"I'm sorry, we didn't exactly gather the council to the round table to discuss your new name." She stated, trying to be calm but letting her sarcasm overpower her comment. Sonic rolled his eyes.

"So _those_ are my options? Soup and Sherbert?"

"I said-"

"I know what you said!" He stomped his foot, balling his fists.

"I don't know what else there is." She said, glaring at the stubborn as ever hedgehog.

"You don't know any other names besides Java and Quebert?" The woman bite her tongue, keeping her composure. She swallowed her pride, and offered,

"Augustus prefers our names have meaning, relevant to our personality." She waved her hands in front of her, to Sonic, who was pouting. "So, I'm open to your suggestions."

Sonic thought about this, but not very long. He snapped his fingers and gave her a cocky look.

"Dylan." He said, striking one of his signature poses. The elegant owl lowered her head, looking at Sonic with annoyance.

"..._Dylan_?" She repeated.

"Yeah, sure!" He said, with a hint of satisfaction. "It's a cool name. And I'm a cool guy. Seems to fit my personality pretty well, dontcha think?" The owl thought for a moment, and curved her mouth into a smile.

"Okay. Dylan it is." She agreed. The green hedgehog spun on his heel, making his way toward his hometown.

"Sweet." He chirped, hiding his smirk. _Sonic, One. Annoying Ana, Zero._

The two stood outside a café, as the owl turned to say farewell to Sonic.

Anastasia sighed, facing him. "Well, _Dylan_, this is where we part ways." She announced, her hands folded in front of her. Sonic looked up at the sign above the building with a loud deep breath.

"So this is it?"

"This is it." She said. "Your life awaits. A new journey for you and anyone you may encounter."

"So, will I, uh…" He spoke nervously. "Will I ever see you again?" She let a soft laugh escape her lips.

"There's no telling." She answered, before adding. "But I will be seeing you." Sonic raised an eyebrow.

"You mean, like, watching me?"

"You could call it that. Augustus says to supervise you. I think it's just a special kind of babysitting job." She teased. Sonic rolled his eyes, but had one last thing to say.

"Hey, Ana?"

"Anastasia."

"Gesundheit." He muttered.

"Yes?" She said, waiting expectantly.

"... Thank you." The owl's eyes widened in shock, and softened with kindness. "For this. For everything."

"You're welcome." She said. Sonic reached his hand out, to send her off with a formal departure. She ignored it, and instead wrapped her arms around him in a light hug. Sonic, taken aback by surprise, chuckled as he returned the gesture.

"Good bye, Anastasia." He said softly over her shoulder.

"Good bye, Sonic." She pulled away, and began to turn the corner before looking back to him.

"Best of luck. And _be careful_." Sonic snickered.

"Heh, who do you think you're talking to?"

She smirked, with confidence and class in her eyes. "_Dylan_ the Hedgehog…" She paused before adding. "_Son of the Sea_". And she disappeared behind the corner.

Sonic stood there, his head tilt in confusion. His eyebrows furrowed he put two and two together.

"What? Dylan… Son of the…" His eyes went wide as he gasped, realization striking. "What? No! Ana, wait!" He said, slipping on the snow as he whipped around the corner. But he was too late. She was already gone. Sonic stood there and blinked, taking in what had just happened. He put his hands on his hips, tapping his foot, pouting.

"Touche, Ana." He said, turning back towards the entrance to the cafe. "Well played."


	6. Is This Even My Home?

**_Hey guys! (Please read this A/N, it's kinda important.)_**

_I know it's hit or miss with these updates lately, but I'm still trying to balance a lot, and it's just not working out. So I'll still be updating CBTM, but I can't [promise that it will be consistent. As for the others, like WtCH, and I Said It Because I Love You, those are __not__ cancelled. Just on a really, reeeally long hiatus (I think I Said It Because I Love You is going on like 3 years now... whoops.)_

_For those of you who missed the announcement... I'm on YouTube now! As of today, I've only got a grand total of 3 videos, but hopefully soon I'll get around to posting an update video, and we'll discuss where I plan on taking my channel. So that support will be appreciated. 3_

_**Your reviews are more motivating and inspirational than you know! I'm gonna start giving shout outs to my most common reviewers, starting with this chapter! So thank you, Bunnylass, for your positive feedback on not just this story, but all of my other work as well. I'm alwaays keeping an eye out for yours specifically. I appreciate your support and feedback. 3**_

_Now that that's out of the way, I present to you what I feel is my longest chapter yet. Enjoy!_

Sonic/Dylan, 21

Silver, 20

Blaze, 19

Cream, 13

Manic, 21

Sonia, 21

Aleena, 42

The hedgehog entered the cafe, brushing stray snowflakes from his head, wiping his feet off at the door. He joined the line, reading the menu. He scanned the options eagerly, remembering what it was like to be cold and hungry. He lowered his head, placing a hand on his stomach, trying to subside the low rumbles.

"I can take whoever's next here." A soft yet audible voice announced to his right. His ears twitched, recognizing that voice. He looked up and saw a purple cat, wearing her hair up in her traditional style, wearing an apron over her green polo and black work pants. She looked at him expectantly.

_Blaze. _Sonic thought, surprised to see a familiar face so soon.

"May I help you, Sir?" She asked, standing behind her register. He snapped himself out of his thoughts, and shook his head, clearing his throat.

"No. I mean, er-" Sonic stammered. "Yeah, just, uh…" He searched the menu, not knowing what he could possibly want to eat for the first time in almost a year. His eyes found a meal listed that lit his eyes up, his heart doing a small flip. He smiled, his voice suddenly sounding more confident. "The number nine, please. Extra chili and cheese. With a Chao Cola and curly fries." The feline entered the request and looked up at him.

"And a name for the order?"

"Ss_ssuhhhh..._" He dragged on, catching himself before saying the wrong name. He panicked, not wanting to embarrass himself, even if it was just Blaze and she didn't know who she was really talking to. "Salsa." Sonic said, clenching his jaw, mentally kicking himself.

"Uh…" She said, unsure of what he was saying. "Salsa?" Luckily he thought faster this time.

'Yeah, salsa." He said, snapping his fingers. "Is it too late to add that to my order?" She visibly brushed the awkwardness off and put a side of salsa on her screen. _Whew!_ To stop himself from messing up any further, he gave his alias and stepped back from the counter, waiting for his first meal in what felt like forever.

Sonic was too lost in his own thoughts to hear the door ring as someone entered. He seemed to be in his own world, trying to take in what exactly was happening. How was he gonna do this? What was everyone else like? Did they change? How much? What did they do now, what have they been doing since he left? Too many questions unanswered. It drove him nuts.

He found his eyes on Blaze again. She looked more happy than he remembered her being. More comfortable in such an environment. The feline turned her head towards the entrance to greet the new customer, but let a smile take over her face before she could get anything out.

Sonic looked to see who she was smiling at, but he had already made it to the counter. He leaned over the counter and kissed her, both smiling warmly.

Sonic's eyes grew wide. He blinked his eyes a few times, and made sure he was seeing what he thought he was seeing.

"Hey there." The customer said, flirtatiously wiggling his eyebrows with a goofy smile.

"Hi." She replied. "Annette, rush is over! Can I go on break?" Blaze got the clear to clock out and hung her apron on the wall behind the counter, coming out from behind as Silver took her hand and smiled at her, joining her at a table nearby.

_There's no way._ Sonic thought, still in disbelief. He kept sneaking glances at the two, who were just chatting as they sipped their drinks, taking fries out of the basket that sat between them.

"Order for Dylan?" A staff member called out, setting his tray on the counter. He grabbed his food, and took a seat not too far from the two, but not too close.

"Vanilla asked me to help with Cream's birthday," Blaze said, sipping her coffee. "I need to go pick up some potato salad and cheese and crackers. Then when I get home, I'll be wrapping her present, and they invited me over for tea. I also have to meet with Rouge to look at table decorations, which, knowing her, could-"

"Take hours." Silver finished, chuckled. "Sounds like you're slammed, then." Blaze nodded, giving an apologetic smile. "Don't sweat it. We'll postpone, and do it a day where we can do everything at our own pace. No errands, no favors. Just us." He assured her.

"Thank you, Silver. You're so understanding." The cat said. Silver squeezed her hand.

"No need to thank me. So, tell you what," He said, sliding his chair out and rising, collecting the empty cups. "You go clock back in, and _I'll_ go pick up the stuff for Vanilla and Cream." He offered, tossing the garbage into a nearby can. Blaze grabbed the empty fry basket and stood up on her toes, kissing his cheek.

"You're the best." She smiled, pulling him into a hug.

"Not the best. Just the luckiest." He countered, getting his coat on. He pecked a quick kiss on her lips before zipping his jacket. "I'll catch ya later. Have a good one, Blaze."

"Okay. Love you." She called as he pushed the door open. He turned his head and gave her a confident wink, just like Sonic would for Amy, and walked out into the chilled air outside and past the window. Sonic's eyes followed him until he was past the window frame.

_I knew those two had a thing for each other, but Silver brave enough to actually do it?_ Sonic thought. _I guess some stuff has changed. But what about everyone else?_

The hedgehog went to pay for his food, using some of the money Anastasia had left with him. He walked out the door and stood there, thinking of what to do next. He looked up at the sky, snowflakes falling down slowly. He looked up and down the street, trying to remember which was what. Him not seeing the place for a year, he wasn't too familiar with the area anymore. He needed time to think, and walked back towards where he occasionally came.

Sonic took a heavy breath as he planted himself on the bench, mind overflowing with everything. He stared at the memorial before him, reading the plaque.

"Hero of Mobius, huh?" Sonic spoke, frowning. He looked down at his own figure, then back up at the solid face above him. "Where's it's hero, now, hmm?" Just as he finished, a single crunch sounded behind him.

"That's Sonic." He spun his head around and saw a young rabbit girl, holding a book to her chest, her chao companion behind her left shoulder. She was looking up at the monument, a look of grief flooded her eyes.

_Cream?_

She just stood there and looked at the statue, hugging her book as Cheese, her longtime friend nuzzled her cheek, letting out a sad 'chao'.

"He was the greatest hero of all time." Her eyes began to shine more, her lips trembling. "He was a great friend, too. We miss him."

Sonic quickly turned his head back to the front, feeling his own eyes begin to sting.

"What was he like?" The hedgehog asked, while internally be screamed, _What are you doing!?_

The girl paused, thinking. She forced a small smile, taking a seat next to him, laying her book on her lap and Cheese sitting on her shoulder closest to Sonic.

"He was very fast." She giggled. "Well, very fast is quite the understatement. He was faster than the speed of sound. Brave, strong, and funny. But most of all, he was loving."

"L-Loving?" The hedgehog repeated. She nodded, looking at him.

"He always put others first. He'd risk his life every five minutes to make sure none of us got hurt. He'd comfort someone when they were sad or scared, and always did what he could to make someone happy." She continued. Sonic felt a weird sense of love and joy in him, hearing first hand how people remembered him. "He was silly, and got pretty cocky sometimes, haha!" She laughed. Sonic found himself chuckling with her. Her laughter ceased, and soon, the joy in his heart was soon replaced by grief as her expression grew grim. Her eyes lowered, and Cheese went in for a hug, chaoing to her.

"He died being a hero. After all the years we spent fighting bad guys with him, it seemed no villain could ever take down Sonic. But when one day that actually happened…" She drew in a shaky breath, pulling Cheese closer to her, trying to shield them both from the bitter cold.

"It was like we all lost that day. Sonic lost his life. We lost our Sonic." She quickly wiped a tear away before exiting the bench, turning to him as she dusted the snow off of her pants and picked up her belongings.

"I'm sorry to have brought that on. I had just been taking Cheese out for a walk when I overheard you talking to yourself. And I just… That was the answer Sonic deserves to be told to others."

"He sounds like an awesome guy," Sonic said, regretting letting anyone hear him five minutes ago. "… I'm sorry…"

"It's okay. It's just getting close to it being a year. Makes my birthday hard compared to all the other ones I've had."

"Oh…" he said, remembering her birthday was only a few days before Christmas. The rabbit folded her arms, bracing herself for the walk home.

"I hope you have a good birthday, Cream." Sonic's eyes went wide and threw his hand over his mouth. _Shit!_

She stopped in her tracks and turned around, looking surprised and puzzled.

"How did you know my name?" She asked.

_Think, Sonic, think!_

"Oh! Uhh…" _Damn it!_

He quickly looked around, and spotted her name written on the cover of her book. He pointed to it using it as his cover up. She tilted her head, and followed his direction, looking at the brown, hard covered book sticking out from between her arm and hip.

"Oh, my diary?" She asked, inspecting it before putting it back under her arm. She smiled, and held her hand out. "Yes, my name is Cream. Nice to meet you, Mr…?"

"Uhh, oh! Dylan." He said, gently taking it and returning her gesture. She nodded her head, taking a mental note of his name. "I'm new around here."

"Oh, I see… Hey, Mr. Dylan?"

"Yeah?" He replied, curious to hear what else she had to say. She hesitated, looking to Cheese, then back at the green hedgehog.

"My mother is throwing me a birthday party. Nothing too big, just us and our friends. You're more than welcome to join us." The rabbit offered. Sonic's eyes widened, surprised at the invitation from her. She had only just met him a moment ago. Why was she inviting a stranger?

"Oh, uhh…" Sonic said, thinking of how to respond. Cream shook her head, adding,

"You don't have to. I just thought since you're new here, you could use some friends. They're very nice. There will be food, and a cake." She added. She reached in her book and pulled out an envelope, holding it out to him. He looked at it, and reached for it, looking back up at her.

"Thanks, Cream," he smiled, and nodded. "I'll be there."

"Wonderful!" Cream said, a smile spreading across her face. "I can't wait for you to meet my friends. They're amazing." She looked up into the sky, realizing the sun was about to set. "Oh! I better go, Mother will be worried. I'll see you on Saturday, Dylan!" And with that, she walked off in the direction of her home.

Sonic looked down at the invitation, and removed it from the envelope. He opened up and could tell she had made them herself, but not like she did back when she was only six years old. Instead of hand drawn flowers and hearts, she had used stickers of birthday confetti and birthday hats and cake. Her handwriting was now eligible. Sonic kept reminding himself that she wasn't six when he last saw a girl like Cream, you'd always see her as the little sweetheart inviting you to her tea parties.

Sonic smiled to himself, and tucked the card in the satchel he'd been left with by Anastasia. He looked back in Cream's direction, where she was now out of sight. If Cream headed _that _way, then that meant…

"Tails' workshop shouldn't be too far." Sonic finished his thought out loud. He followed Cream's footprints in the snow, until he was greeted by the street lights on the sidewalk. He kept an eye out for Cream, wanting to avoid her realizing he was following her. He didn't want to scare her.

Sonic stopped at a clothing store, and bought himself a sweater and pants. It took him a while to get used to the clothes. He never wore anything but his socks, shoes and gloves. He didn't even wear anything up in the sanctuary.

_Beats having frostbite on every inch of my body._ Sonic admitted to himself. He took a look around the city he passed through, remembering how he'd speed through here during some of his runs. Wait…

"Why the hell am I walking?!" Sonic asked himself. He got into position to take off at sonic speed, but when he pushed off to run, his foot flew back on the ice below and lost his balance, sending him flying forward and landing with a _thud_, snow flying out from under him.

He groaned, lifting himself and dusting himself off.

"What the heck!? Why can't I run?" Sonic said, obviously irritated. "I had to give up my body, my name," He looked up at the sky, throwing his arms out and called out into the empty city. "Did you forget anything, Anastasia?! Where's my speed!?" He stopped and listened to his voice echo through the streets.

"The ice is slippery." A deep voice said from a few feet behind him.

Sonic jumped at the unexpected company, and spun on his heel to see the end of a fishing pole centimeters away from his nose.

"Wha- _Big?_ Sonic announced, forcing himself to cough, in an attempt to cover up his slip up.

"Yeah. That's why I'm called Big." He explained, not catching Sonic's slip up. "And this is Froggy!" He lifted a large ice cylinder, with a frozen frog stuck in the center. Sonic realized it was Big he was dealing with, and didn't need to worry about him catching on to anything.

"You mean you lost him?" Sonic asked with a dry monotone. ..._Again?_ Sonic finished to himself.

Big looked at Froggy, and smiled. "Yeah. My little buddy likes to fish." He shared, tapping on the surface with his finger.

"Ya don't say…" He muttered. Sonic leaned in close, and Froggy was frozen in place, but blinked a couple of times. He looked up at the giant cat with a questioning look. "Is he… gonna be… okay?"

"He'll be okay! He's just cold. He needs to go to sleep." Big said, before walking past Sonic, and turning the corner. Sonic just stood there, watching the block of ice hand from Big's hand, swinging back and forth as he whistled.

_That poor frog._ He thought. He shook his head, clearing his mind.

"Okay, Tails' workshop. That way!" He told himself. He took a few steps forward before stopping himself, looking down the street Big just walked down. "Or is it… that way?" He was lost, unsure of where he was. A cold wind blew, Sonic hugging himself and shivering.

"Great. I'm lost. And have no idea where anything is." He looked in his satchel and pulled out forty-eight dollars. "And broke, with nothing to get me shelter for the night." He rubbed his arms, struggling to stay warm. A van drove by, sending slush flying in his direction. He yelled, covering his face from the impact. "Great." He muttered. The van screeched to a stop, brake lights, or, one of them, at least, flickered as it reversed, backing up and stopping at Sonic's side.

The window was tinted, but he could make out a figure crawling to the other side, and watched as the window was pushed down, to reveal a green, spikey head.

"Hey, man, you look cold!" Sonic rolled his eyes, annoyed with how his first night back home was going.

"Yeah. I am. Doesn't exactly help when-" Sonic turned his head to look at him and immediately forgot what he was saying. His jaw hung open as he blinked, trying to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"You need a ride? Hop on in, dude!" He said, climbing back behind the wheel.

Sonic stood in disbelief. He was looking right at him, but it still felt so surreal. It was like a dream. Sitting in the beat up van in front of him, was none other than _Manic the Hedgehog_. His only brother.

"Well? What're ya waiting on, man? Hop in!" He said, leaning over and opening the door for him. Sonic closed his mouth and swallowed, walking towards the van.

"So, what's your name, bro?" Manic asked, eyes on the road.

"Uh, Dylan." He answered, occasionally sneaking glances at his brother. He looked so different, yet the same. No, not different. Just older. His spikes were longer, and he had a green goatee growing. His ears were lined with piercings.

"Ayee, that's a cool name. The name's Manic. What're you doing out here in the cold, man?"

"Oh, it, I was just walking around, looking for a place to sl-" Sonic stopped himself. Manic looked at him, his eyes lightened.

"Aw man, dude, are you homeless?" Manic asked. Sonic waved his hands front of him.

"No, no! I just-"

"Oh man, I get it. You got sent to the dog house, huh?"

"Huh? What- no! I'm just new around here."

"Oh." Manic said. "Well, welcome to Station Square." He reached his left hand out, under his right arm on the wheel.

Sonic reached out to shake it, when a humming grew closer and closer. Sonic looked forward to see a motorcycle nearing the intersection. If he didn't stop, they were going to hit each other.

"Manic, look out!" Manic shot his eyes to the road and slammed the breaks, stopping beneath the red light.

A loud crash sounded from the back of the van. The two jerked, and Sonic looked back and saw a heap of percussion behind them. Manic looked back and took a glance at his drum set and faced forward, watching the biker fly through the intersection, giving them the finger as he drove past.

Sonic looked at Manic, who laughed.

"Who the hell gave you a license?" Sonic questioned. Manic shrugged.

"The DMV. It took me a couple tries. I crashed my sister's car on the second try."

_Oh jeez._ Sonic thought. He stopped himself and thought about his sister. _Sonia_. He suddenly laughed.

"How'd she take that?" Manic chuckled.

"She was pissed. She'd just gotten the bumper and tail lights repaired. Which, by the way, was not my fault."

"What happened?" He asked.

"She actually break checked someone after they wouldn't get off her ass. She's surprisingly an aggressive driver, haha!"

"So you've got your aggressive driver and bad driver, haha!" Sonic teased, keeping his eyes on the road to avoid anymore close calls. "So… wait, where are we going?"

Manic turned the corner and drove down a few blocks. He made a right and pulled into a driveway, answering his question.

"You can crash at my place. My mom and sister won't mind. We've got a comfy couch you can sleep on. My mom will make you feel right at home."

_I'm sure…_ Sonic thought to himself, not sure if he was ready to see his mother and sister.

The two walked into the house, which was warm and had a soft glow coming from the next room over.

"Mom, Sonia! I'm home! And I brought a friend!" Manic led him into the living room, where Sonia sat with her knees up, resting against the arm of the couch. She had a book laying in her lap, with ear buds in. She looked up and grabbed a mug that was set on the side table next to her. She noticed the two boys' presence and set her book down, removing her headphones.

"Manic, where have you been? You were supposed to be home for dinner an hour ago."

"Sorry, sis. I got caught up in playing. And I picked up a hitch hiker." Sonic's eyes went wide and looked at Manic.

"You offered me a ride! After you splashed me on the street!" Sonic defended.

"Hey, I couldn't let you sleep outside in the cold." Manic said, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "After all, us green hedgehogs gotta stick together!" Sonic laughed nervously.

"Well, at least he isn't a fugitive, like last time." Sonia retorted, standing up. "I'll go get you some dry clothes." And she left.

"You wait here. I'm gonna go find my mom real quick." And he exited the room. Sonic took a deep breath, walking around the living room. He inspected the Christmas decorations placed on the mantel, and the tree that stood tall in the corner of the room, shining brightly with colored lights, ornaments sparkling in the reflection.

He stopped at the photos on the wall. There were pictures of his mother, brother and sister, and… him. He looked closer at them.

There was one of the four of them at a table in a restaurant. Sonia and their mom sat next to each other, hugging, while Manic and Sonic had their arms around the other's, with a sandwich in Manic's hand and a chili dog, of course, in Sonic's.

The next one was a Christmas family photo taken back when they were kids. His mom sat in the center, with Manic in her lap, with a messed up neck tie after he had failed at getting in off before the picture was taken. At her left stood Sonia, standing pretty in her evergreen dress, with her bow in her hair. And to the right, Sonic stood, with a grumpy face, pouting because his mother had made him wear pants. Sonic chuckled. He remembered taking that picture, back when they were only nine years old. He looked at the others scattered across the wall. He turned his head at the sound Sonia entering, holding out some fresh garments.

"Here you go," She offered. "Bathroom is just down the hall, second door on the left."

Sonic grabbed the clothes and nodded his head.

"Thanks."

Sonic closed the door behind him and looked at himself in the mirror. It was so weird, seeing the green hedgehog in the mirror, looking back at him. He looked away and began to remove his clothes, piling them on the floor as he put on the fresh, dry clothes, assumingly Manic's.

He reached for the door knob and heard voices outside. He took a sharp breath as he recognized the sweet voice on the other side of the door.

"Sonia, dear, could you help me come set up the table?"

_Mom._

He pulled his hand away and stepped back, his eyes started to sting. He fought tears as he sat on the closed toilet, pressing his palms to his eyes.

_How am I going to do this? _Sonic thought. _Mom, Sonia, Manic. My family is out there. And they can't even know I'm _me. _What do I do?_

A knock sounded from the other side, Sonic looked up, wiping any remaining tears away.

"Just a minute!" He called out.

"You good in there, man?" Manic asked. "We're about to eat dinner."

"Yeah, I'm just… washing my hands. I'll be out in a sec!" He answered. He looked at himself in the mirror one more time, then exited the bathroom.

Sonic turned the corner into the kitchen, and his breath immediately got caught in his chest.

_Oh God..._

The woman closed the oven, fixing the hand towel that hung over the handle. She turned her head and, looking over her shoulder to him.

_Oh God._ It was all he could think.

"Hello, there, dear. I just made lasagna. You're more than welcome to join us." She put a hand on his shoulder and led him to the dining room table, where Manic had a chair pulled out next to where he sat. Sonic cleared his throat as he took a seat, scooting himself in.

"Would you like anything to drink?" Sonia asked.

"Oh! Oh! I'll have chocolate milk!" Manic answered. Sonia scowled.

"I was talking to our guest." She scolded, before adding, "And you drank all the chocolate milk."

"Just water is fine." Sonic answered, giving her a faint smile. Sonia left to go get drinks, and then the other two soon joined across from them, and they began to eat.

"So Manic told us you're new to Station Square." Sonia spoke up. "Where are you from?"

"Oh, uh, nowhere."

"Nowhere?" Aleena asked, confused.

"I told you he lived in the woods!" Manic interrupted.

"Manic!" The two scolded in unison.

"What I mean is, I've been traveling my whole life. From places like Apotos and Mazuri to places like Spagonia and Shamar." Sonic improvised. May as well have used places he's actually been to, right?"

"Wow. Those are all pretty places. We haven't been there ourselves, but we've seen pictures." Sonia commented. "So why stop going to places like that and coming here?" Sonic hesitated, pretending to chew his food long enough to think of an answer.

"I figured it was time to settle down for a bit. Find a home, make some friends."

"I'm sure you got lonely." Aleena said, sympathetically. Sonic nodded.

"Yeah. But I made some friends every now and then."

"Kinda like now." Manic chimed in.

"Huh?"

"You're new around here. You don't really know anyone. So I'll be your friend." Manic said, wrapping an arm over his shoulders, moving his vest, so that it opened, revealing black ink over where his heart was. Sonic's eyes shifted to it, but he looked up as Aleena spoke.

"Dylan, you're more than welcome to stay in the spare bedroom for however long you'd like." She offered.

"Really?" He asked, sounding shocked. Though he wasn't surprised at his family's quick acts of hospitality. His mom and sister were always sweet and kind, and even though Manic had poor judgement sometimes, he still had a big heart.

"Of course. We can't just let you go out with nowhere to sleep." Sonia answered. "We want to help you."

"Yeah, and besides," Manic said, reaching for another ear of corn. "Tis the season of giving." He dug into his corn on the cob, Sonia rolling her eyes.

"So I can give you a lecture on proper table manners, Manic?"

"No fank yoh." Came out of his mouth, along with stray pieces of corn kernels. Sonia groaned, and Sonic chuckled, and they finished their dinner chatting about the rest of their days.

Aleena opened the door, and Sonic and Sonia followed. Sonia set nicely folded blankets on the end of the bed, and grabbed a spare pillow set from the closet.

"This is our spare room. Yours, until further notice." Aleena said, a warm smile on her face. Sonia finished making sure everything was set, and made her way out of the room.

"I'm turning in for the night." Sonia said, yawning. Good night, Mom. Good night, Dylan."

"Good night, honey." Aleena hugged her, and she was gone. She then turned to Sonic.

"Do you need anything else, dear?" He shook his head.

"N-No. I'm good." He sat on the end of the bed, trying to avoid looking his mother in the eyes. She gave him a warm smile.

"I know this is a big step for you, settling down and calling a place your home. Especially when you're unfamiliar with everything and everyone." She took a seat on the bed with him. Sonic tensed up a little bit, but forced himself to look at her. "But we're here to help you along the way."

"Thank you, Mo- uh, Ms. Hedgehog. I appreciate it." She giggled.

"Please, call me Aleena. There's no need to thank us, sweetie. We're happy to help." The two went silent. She cleared her throat, before continuing. "We're here for you. Anything you need, just ask." And with that she walked to the doorway, and turned her direction to him one more time.

"Good night, Dylan."

"Good night, Ms. Hedgeho-'' he cleared his throat. "Uh, Aleena." She flicked the light off, and left the door cracked.

Sonic let out a long sigh. He pulled the blanket over him, as a thousand thoughts flooded his mind.

_I'm home. I'm _home_. And everyone's here. I've only been back one day and so much has changed. Silver and Blaze are actually together, Cream… well, I always saw her as the little girl. It's still weird to see her older. Big… okay, well, he's the same. Manic, Sonia, Mom… they haven't changed much either…_

Sonic turned onto his side. _So… I guess… not a whole lot has changed since I left. The average person wouldn't have known I was ever gone…_

His ears drooped down, getting too deep into his thoughts. _Do they not miss me? After a year of me being dead?_ No! _What am I saying? Cream clearly missed me. And she was one of my closest friends… I still have to find Tails and Knuckles! And…_ His eyes widened, and he lay flat on his back.

_Amy. She's got the baby. _He put his hands on his head, his heart racing. _Oh sweet Mobius, _the baby_. I wasn't there for any of it. I missed the baby shower, getting everything ready, oh my God, the _delivery. _I missed my kid's birth. And I wasn't there for Amy. She's had to do this all alone._

Sonic sat up in his bed, not tired enough to go to sleep any time soon. The silence of the room was filled with the sound of Sonic's heart thumping.

"I gotta go for a run." He said, leaving the bed. He stopped and stood there, facepalming.

_Crap. That's right._ He remembered. _I don't have my speed._ A low rhythm was coming from down the hall. He pushed the door open, and poked his head out, toward the stairway. He made his way down the stairs. He walked around, searching until he found a door that led to the basement. He opened the door and the volume got louder. He quickly walked through and closed it, not wanting to wake the rest of the house. He continued to walk down, not bothering to be quiet anymore. Reaching the bottom, he peeked his head around the corner, and saw Manic playing his drums.

He came out from behind the wall, and watched him. Manic's attention was focused on the drums, as he beat the drums and bumped his head to the tempo. Sonic leaned against the door frame, not realizing he was nodding his own head to the beat. Manic looked up for a second and saw him, smiling as he finished his solo and twirled a drumstick in one hand, sending it crashing down on a symbol. The house was once again silent, the only sound was Manic's heavy breathing.

"That was great!" Sonic said, the first to speak. "I can tell you've been playing for a while." Manic let out a short laugh, resting his hands on his thighs.

"Thanks, dude. Yeah, I have. Since I was a kid actually."

"That's awesome." He complimented. He took a step toward the door. "May I?" Manic waved his hand toward the beat up couch on the other side of his room.

"Yeah, man. Come on in." Sonic entered and took a seat, looking around.

"You sure got a lot of stuff in here." He said, observing. He noticed the keyboard mounted onto his wall, and next to it, was a familiar guitar. "You, uh, play those too?" Manic followed where he was pointing to and shook his head.

"Nah. The keyboard is my sister's. She got a new one, so I got this one and decided to hang it up next to my brother's guitar." Sonic's heart ached all of a sudden.

"Your… brother?"

"Yeah… he died, about a year ago. This was his guitar. The three of us are triplets. We were in a band when we were younger, called 'Sonic Underground'."

"Sounds cool." Sonic said, half heartedly.

"Yeah. It was." Manic breathed out. He continued looking at the instruments mounted up, and shook it off. "He was really cool. Nice to everyone, and helped everyone he could."

"Do you miss him?" Came out. He mentally kicked himself in the ass as he realized what a stupid question he'd just asked.

"Of course I miss him," Manic said, not seeming to mind. "He was my big brother. I know families have their issues, but Sonic is the main reason I don't let those issues go unresolved anymore." He said, twirling his drumstick. "I annoy Sonia, but we both know I mean well by it. If one of us makes the other mad, we take care of it right away. Because if we learned anything from Sonic, it's to not let a day go by that we tell someone how much we love them… because…" Manic took a deep breath, slowing his twirling to a stop. "You never know when you're not gonna be able to see them again."

The air grew heavy as Sonic fought back the tears burning his eyes. Manic seemed to be fighting back his own emotions. He sniffed, pressing his palms to his eyes, and saw he was being watched. He stood from his drum set, and took off his vest. A black patch on his chest caught Sonic's attention, but before he could see what exactly it was, Manic threw the blanket over his bed, hinting he wanted to be alone.

"I'm gonna crash. I'll see you tomorrow, man." He said, not making eye contact with him. Sonic walked towards the door, and as he reached the frame, he looked over his shoulder, not wanting to reveal his tears.

"Good night, Manic. And… I'm sorry."

"Thanks… Good night, Dylan."

And with that, Sonic made his way back up to the guest room. He quietly closed the door behind him and returned to his bed.

Is this even my home, anymore? He thought to himself.

And with tired eyes and a sad heart, he slept.


	7. Should I Really Be Here?

_Hello~ I'm back with another chapter, and this is the last one that I have completed as of today, so the next one might not be completed and uploaded next week (thanks, adult life -.-) But here's another one. Might be short, but I'd say it packs a punch full of emotion. Thanks again for the reviews, please please PLEASE keep them coming! They always put smiles on my face. UwU_

_Also, while you're reading this... IF you're still reading this... I'm looking for an artist to help me with a... special project. I'll leave it at that._

_Now... enjoy!_

Sonic, 21

Manic, 21

Sonia, 21,

Aleena, 42

Uncle Chuck, 63

Sonic opened his eyes, and sat up in his bed. Dazed, he looked around the room, debating if he was still sleeping and dreaming or if he was actually alive in his mother's house. He pushed himself out of bed, kicking the covers off as he stood, and shuffled out into the hall.

Walking down the hall, he caught a waft of something sweet. _Mom's Cinnamon Rolls._ His lip curved into a small smile, before his mouth became a tight line, realizing he was going to have to kick his act into gears as he sat with his family again.

He saw the door to the bathroom open and entered, closing the door behind him. With a heavy breath, he turned towards the sink and reached for the faucet. Splashing his face with some cold water, he reached for the towel and dried his face. Looking up at the mirror, his eyes widened and he shot back, the rug losing grip under his feet and sending him flying back.

"Chaos, I'm never gonna get used to being green." He muttered under his breath. Footsteps thundered as Sonic pushed himself off the ground. The door swung open, the edge smacking Sonic in the head and causing him to yell in pain.

"Oh shit! Sorry, bro!" Manic said, leaning to look at his head. "I heard a noise and wanted to make sure you were alright." Sonic looked up to him and gave him a small smile.

"I'm okay. Just got scared." He chuckled.

"Yeah, you're looking a little rough in the bedhead department." Manic teased. "Breakfast is ready downstairs, if you're hungry. Better hurry before it's all gone. My uncle is gonna be here any minute and he'll down whatever's left in T-Minus sixty seconds." Sonic's heart dropped to his stomach.

"U-Uncle?" Sonic stammered. There was only one uncle he'd be talking about.

"Yeah, my Uncle Chuck. He's stopping by to fix Sonia's car. I wanted him to meet you too. You guys will get along great!" He said, before turning back towards the stairs. "So come get breakfast while it's still hot and on the table."

"Can't wait…" Sonic said, barely above a whisper. He turned to the mirror and fixed his quills. He forced a neutral expression as he descended the stairs and entered the kitchen, a plate already waiting for him on the table.

"Good morning, Dylan." Sonia said, still visibly tired.

"Good morning. You still look tired." Sonic said, trying to avoid any awkward silence.

"Yeah. _Someone _was making a ruckus last night." Sonic said, glaring at Manic. Manic shrugged it off as he finished the last of his cinnamon roll.

Aleena appeared behind him, laying a bowl of melted frosting beside the tray of the remaining pastries.

"Here you go, dear. I wasn't sure if you liked extra frosting or not on your rolls, so help yourself."

_I love extra frosting._ Sonic thought, a smile creeping on his face. He poured his frosting enough to leave a pool of white goo at the base of his breakfast.

"You're gonna give yourself cavities." Sonia joked, eyeing the puddle of frosting on his plate.

"Here, I can help." Manic said, reaching a finger to lick the excess frosting. Sonic smiled coily and slid his plate out of his reach and passed him the bowl of remaining frosting.

Manic froze in place for a second, and drew his hand back, his mouth in a tight line.

"... Manic?" Sonic asked, aware of his mood changing. "I was just playing. You can have some of it." Manic shook his head, his expression unreadable.

"Nah, it's okay. I was too." Manic said, forcing a smile.

_What is that all about? _Sonic pondered.

Before anything else could be said, a cold gust of wind came in as the sound of a door opening and closing echoed from the front of the house.

"Hello! Anyone home?" Everyone's heads turned to the sound of a man entering the home.

"We're in here, Charlie!" Aleena called from the sink, resting a hand towel on the handle of the oven.

In the kitchen entered a light blue hedgehog with a big, grey mustache. "Ahh, I knew I smelled cinnamon rolls." Sonic suddenly felt light headed. He turned his head away and looked down on his breakfast. He heard his uncle approaching and grabbed a cinnamon roll from the tray, noticing the stranger beside him.

"Well hello, there. I don't believe we've met." He spoke, looking down to him. "I'm Charles. But you can call me Uncle Chuck." Sonic peeked up and prayed to God that his face wasn't as red as it felt. He looked at the hand reached out in front of him, and shook it.

"Dylan." Was all he could get out.

"I met him last night, and he needed a place to stay. So he crashed in the guest room, and we're gonna go meet up with the others later today." Manic said.

"He's new here." Sonia added. "And we're gonna help him get settled in Station Square." Uncle Chuck rested a hand on her shoulder and ruffled Manic's spiky quills, giving them a proud look.

"That's kind of you. Pleasure to meet ya, Dylan. I see you like frosting." He chuckled, inspecting his breakfast. "Now _that's_ how you eat a cinnamon roll." He said, covering his own cinnamon roll in sticky sugar. "I haven't seen that much sugar on a cinnamon roll since-" He could see Aleena silently try to cut him off. "Ah, my father spilled the entire bowl."

His cover was to no avail as Manic excused him from the table, and sulked out of the door. Uncle Chuck's expression became apologetic as he scratched the back of his head.

"I'll go check on him." Sonia said, rising from her seat. Aleena raised a hand stopping her.

"Just give him some alone time, hun. It's getting close to that time." The room was silent for what felt like too long.

"I'm sorry." Sonic spoke softly. Uncle Chuck clapped a hand on his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Don't worry about it, bud. You didn't know. It's just hard for us right now."

_I'm an idiot. Of course I can't act like my regular self. Even just the little things. Anastasia was right. Sonic is gone. I can't come back. I have to start a new life. I'll only make things worse._

Uncle Chuck cleared his throat, looking at Sonia.

"Tails was able to give me a serpentine belt for your car, so once we get that in there, your steering should be much easier. You won't have to worry about the antifreeze overheating your engine once it's in there."

_Tails?_

"How much does he want for it?" Sonia asked.

"You know the boy never asks for money. But he _did _hint that he wants that new power saw over at Riley's Auto Shop. Kill two birds with one stone, that can be his Christmas gift." Sonia smiled.

"We can go pick it up when we take Barracuda for a test ride."

"Sounds like a plan. You can come with us too, if you'd like, Dylan."

_I shouldn't be here._

"I have to go." He announced. Aleena came back from the kitchen.

"Oh? What for?" She said, handing her brother a coffee.

"Just a walk. Go stretch my legs." He could see Sonia press her lips in a tight line. _Damn it, Sonic. Just shut up and leave! _

"O-Okay then. The door will be unlocked when you come back."

Sonic nodded respectfully and threw his jacket on. Without another word, he entered the wintery outdoors and made a beeline for the road.

Walking down the driveway, his eyes began to sting.

_I can't do this. I need Anastasia to come back and get me. Have her send me to the afterlife. If I stay any longer I'm gonna-_

"SHIT!" He yelled as he suddenly felt the ground slip from under his feet and met the ground with a thud. "_Son of a bi-_"

"Dylan?" A voice came from behind the white van that stood in the driveway. A green figure appeared and looked down to the man sprawled in the driveway.

"Ohhhh…" Sonic groaned. Manic shuffled his way over to him, and began to help him up. Sonic winced and Manic paused, his eyes widening.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" He asked, looking him over before inspecting his head. They got him up the rest of the way as Sonic held a hand to his rear.

"Ugh, I'm definitely gonna feel that one later." Sonic muttered, dusting himself off.

"Can't be worse than the time I tripped over my own drumsticks while going down the stairs with my arms full of equipment." Manic chuckled, lightening the mood. "Can't say I busted my ass as hard as you did, but I definitely broke my wrist and hi-hat. They both chuckled. "So where're ya headed?" Sonic swallowed hard and looked away.

"I don't know." Manic tilted his head in confusion.

"You don't know?" Sonic shrugged.

"You weren't gonna leave… were you?" Manic asked, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"I… It's just… I know things are hard for you and your family right now. I don't wanna make things worse." He said, still avoiding eye contact. He instead focused his attention on that spot where the ink peeked out from under his vest. Manic followed his gaze and revealed the rest of the tattoo that had Sonic's name spelled on the neck of his guitar.

"I got this after he died. That's the same guitar he played when we were younger. In a way, I feel like I'm kind of like Sonic at heart. At least, I try to be. As close as I can, anyway. I wish he could see it."

_It's perfect._ Sonic thought.

"I'm sure he'd love it." Manic gave him an appreciative smile.

Manic leaned against his van, and Sonic followed suit, swallowing the lump lodged in his throat. Manic took a deep breath before continuing.

"Yeah. Things are hard right now. I miss my brother. We were close... Really close. He was my only brother, and I looked up to him. And my mom and Sonia, they might not act like it all the time, but they're struggling too. And Uncle Chuck…" Manic paused. "Sonic was like a son to him. And every little thing reminds us of him. Like earlier, with the frosting." Sonic held his breath. "That was _exactly_ what he did. And the shit ton of frosting on his cinnamon rolls." Manic flashed a quick smile. "He _did _give himself cavities. That's why Sonia said that."

"Do you really think it's a good idea for me to be around if I remind you of him?"

"I think it's a good idea for us to stick together and help each other out. I can help you get your footing, and you can help me and my family."

"How can I help?" Sonic asked.

"In a way, you can help us grieve. And honestly, after everything happened, for the past few months, I've felt a lot more lonely. I have some buddies that I perform with, but that's pretty much just business. While here, with you, I feel like I have a friend. I know we just met last night, but being as though you're new here, I kinda feel like we were meant to be friends. Like we met for a reason."

_Wow. Manic has changed more than I thought._ Sonic thought.

"So whaddya say?" Manic asked, holding out a fist. "Buds?" Sonic looked down, then back to him, with a look of hope in his eyes. Sonic smiled, and balled up his fist, bumping it with Manic's.

"Buds."

Manic let out a goofy grin, and stood straight, opening the back door to his van.

"Sorry about walking out earlier. I just needed some fresh air, and figured I'd check on my kids." Sonic was confused until he saw the drum set assembled inside. "They always slide around back there when I'm driving. Here, check this out."

Manic sat on the stool in the center and started to play, and Sonic just sat and watched his brother play his heart out.


	8. A Recurring Nighmare

**A/N: Hello! I will admit, this one was quite rushed, 1) because Ive been pretty good with updating weekly 2) because I had a light bulb go off in my head at like, 2 o' clock in the morning, and 3) drumroll please... I get an answer on whether or not I'm approved for the studio I applied for last week. So please keep me in your prayers and thoughts, I need a new place to live by June 1st, and this is the only option I have before having to move across the country... again. but enough about me, how about this new depressing chapter, eh? My hands were shaking as I worked on this one, I've never written anything like this before. My eyes stung with tears as I typed. So please, bring in those reviews, I'm eager to read them! I wanna know how I did with this one, so I can improve for the next heartache. Alright, you've read this much. Now go enjoy the flashback. 3**

Tails, 15

Knuckles, 22

Amy, 18

Rouge, 21

Shadow, ?

_In a flash, they were back at Tails' workshop. They descended from the plane, avoiding the damage where the smoke continued to flow out of._

"_You two okay?" Rouge said, concerned for Amy's well being._

"_Yeah," Amy said, putting her hands on her back for support. "Just a little shaken up."_

"_We're fine." Tails said, looking at his plane, and scratching the back of his head. "Can't say the same for the Tornado."_

"_Where's Knuckles?" Amy asked, looking around. "I thought he was coming with us."_

"_He stayed behind to help Sonic." Rouge answered. "Let's get you inside, you need to relax and take it easy."_

"_You shouldn't have been fighting in the first place." Shadow said in a low voice. He was still his usual self, but ever since they'd announced there was a baby on the way, Shadow had become more precautious for Amy's condition. He wouldn't admit, but deep down, he did care._

"_It was an ambush. I didn't plan on fighting. None of us did." Amy said. "Has anyone radioed Sonic and Knuckles?" She lowered herself onto the couch in his living space._

"_Now isn't the best time. There were more robots when we left." Tails said, handing Amy a glass of water. "But I'm sure they're fine."_

_Rouge looked at Shadow, who stood behind the couch where the mother-to-be sat. Shadow only looked away, not telling them what he saw before they chaos controlled from the battle field. Rouge knew that something was up._

"_Excuse me for a moment." Rouge said, walking out the door, eyeing Shadow to follow her._

_She stood outside, and shortly after, Shadow was at her side. She turned to him, and as she opened her mouth to speak, Shadow raised his hand to speak first._

"_I'm going back." He said, revealing his chaos emerald._

"_I'll come with too." She took a step closer, and he took two back and turned the other way._

"_No."_

"_Shadow, I'm coming with. They're going to need all the help they can get."_

"_I'm not going there to help."_

"_Then why are yo-"_

"_I'm going to bring them back." Shadow said over his shoulder. "Go back to them, take care of Rose."_

"_But Shadow, they-"_

"_Chaos Control!"_

_He was gone in a flash._

_Soon later..._

_The three sat in the room, silent in their own thoughts, but all the same._

'_Please be okay' kept playing in their minds. Before much longer, something bright flashed from the outside. They were back._

"_Oh, thank God." Rouge said. Tails rose to his feet first, and walked towards the door. Before he could reach outside, Knuckles stepped in the doorway and stood there, with a solemn expression._

"_Knuckles?" He asked, looking at his friend. "Are you okay? Where are Sonic and Shadow?" Knuckles clenched his jaw and fists. "Knuckles?" Something moved behind the red echidna and caught Tails' attention. Seeing the lifeless body in Shadow's arms, Tails already knew._

"_NO!" Tails said, stumbling back. "NO, KNUCKLES, NO!" Tails screamed, breaking down to his knees and bawling. Amy's heart dropped, as she rushed to the door. She felt Rouge's gloved hand grab her forearm, but slipped out of her grip with force. Knuckles' attention snapped to her and grabbed her, pulling her away from the door in effort to keep her from seeing what Tails saw._

"_Knuckles, please, where's Sonic. Is he out there? I have to see him, Knuckles, please." Amy begged, fighting his grip. He only wrapped his arms around her, holding her tighter with every attempt to escape his hold. "KNUCKLES, DAMN IT, LET ME GO!" She gave everything she had and escaped, throwing herself to the floor in front of the door, looking outside._

_There he was. Bloody, broken, covered in dirt, and limp. He was… Sonic was…_

"_NOOOOOOOO!" Amy said, screaming at the top of her lungs. She squeezed her eyes shut, as she felt strong arms pull her back and rock her, feeling Knuckles' chest rise and fall quickly. This couldn't have been happening. There was no way that this was true._

_So there they were. Rouge comforting Tails, both in shock and disbelief. Knuckles holding Amy, the two heartbroken and traumatized, and Shadow holding the lifeless blue hedgehog before them._

_Their best friend._

_Their ally._

_Their husband._

_Their hero._

_Sonic the Hedgehog was dead._


End file.
